tfumuxfandomcom-20200216-history
Tech-01
The title of Tech-01 is a matter of prestige within the COBRA Special Weapons Program. There will always be a Tech-01, the only thing that changes is the face. The role of Tech-01 is a dangerous task. Typically he, or she, will spearhead research and development of a highly classified nature. When given the designation of Tech-01, all other titles are dismissed and done away with. This helps ensure both an air of intrigue about the role, but also has various security and control applications which keep COBRA projects as much a secret as they are. Notes *Tech 01 is a genius. *Tech 01 is also eccentric. *Science > All *The owner of the title may die, but Tech 01 will always live on. *There has been a Tech 01 since Cobra's inception. The true number of title-holders has never been verified. *Don't count on Tech 01 to shoot you in a firefight with a sidearm. There's lots of other large toys that do it so much better which can be used. *It's not that Tech 01 is a monster, but rather that science is a cold, uncaring mistress. *Vaj yaj SoH laH, chaq 'e' Tech 01 'um. Current Tech-01 The current Tech-01 was formerly known as Techno-Viper 1493. He started service with the name Don Averson, a Warrant Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. However, hard times and a disdain for the politics that governed his branch led him to start scouting other jobs and offers. One eventually landed him in COBRA. As a Techno-Viper with prior experience in the aviation community, he focused his efforts on the air-wing. It did not take long for him to find himself in charge of a maintenance wing, and from there he began to branch out. Again drawing on prior experience, he cross-trained with the Strato- and Star-Vipers he was frequently in contact with, posting qualification scores that caught the eye of the engineers within the Special Weapons division. One such man was James Ritter. Under Ritter, Techno-Viper 1493 found himself involved in a fair number of special programs involving the development and testing of highly classified systems for COBRA to utilize in the field. When James Ritter was killed in a test-flight over the pacific, Karl Strausus took over the Tech-01 title for a brief time, but died shortly after in a vehicle crash. The void was notable, and after a brief deliberation, Techno-Viper 1493 as a designation was retired, and Don took the mantle of Tech-01. Logs Posts Project : Nightlash 2.0 Project : Nightlash 2.0 Pt. 1 A technician appears, seated at a computer. The webcam shows the open expanse of a hangar with what appears to be a typical COBRA-owned and operated Night Raven S3P. However, unlike most of the COBRA-owned Night Ravens, this one is swarming with technicians and scientists alike, each wearing a COBRA issued badge that denotes them as part of the R&D department's 'Special Weapons' program. Naturally, no names are listed on the badges, just photos, for the sake of security. "Alright, Sir, you asked and we're delivering," the technician's heavy Aussie accent is fairly clear over the video feed. "This Night Raven you gave me, it's definitely one of ours, only it isn't." He pauses, tapping a few keys on an unseen keyboard. "Hold on, I'll explain." Pictures flash up on the side of the screen. "This is the aircraft, tail number Theta Zero-One-Seven-Three. She belonged to R&D a while back, has a rather sparse history in the archives, though. This was back when Ritter ran the show, and he was too secretive for his own good. Pity he can't answer much from six feet under. The pilot, Strato-Viper Seven-Nine-One, likewise had a very involved service in R&D, but was shot down and never recovered alive, making this a curious case." He clears his throat, letting the old images, all time-stamped around 2010. They show the aircraft in various areas, each time from a bit of a distance and marked with the title 'PROJECT : NIGHTLASH'. The technician dismisses them once they've run they're course. "I looked up Project Nightlash. Big surprise, no records. Checked the aircraft's tail number, going straight to M.A.R.S. Another big surprise, they show no records of ever producing that particular tail-number. That's when we found this." The Night Raven's image appears in wire-frame format, zooming in on a cross-section of the cockpit. "We've got here an R/A-37-1a transponder module, Cobra standard in our Ravens. Allows the pilot to control the drone while it's unmanned, likewise allows for some automated functions and presets. We've upgraded our platforms to the R/A-42-7b as of last year for advanced functions, but this unit shows up as having been ordered Depot-level repairable without a carcass to turn in." The cross-section lights up with numerous other modules, an indicator on the side showing a count of 73. "All in all, we found seventy-three different modules, all DLR, uh… depot level repairables, installed throughout the aircraft to give it form and function similar to our own birds, all ordered without a carcass. But here's where it gets stranger still." An image pops up of wiring and circuitry, heavily zoomed in and magnified. "What we see here is non-standard wiring, it's not quite matching our technical publications. Alien technology similar to samples we've recovered in the past, from these… Cybertron automatons, has infused itself with the tech installed that came from us." Several more images of similar situations, alien tech paired up with COBRA branded and M.A.R.S. branded modules flash across the screen. "So, like I said, this bird… she was ours. But she's not ours. But this, as they say, is the coup-de-grace." The screen fills up with what looks like a micro-nuclear reactor, glowing a bright, almost pure white with purple arcs of lightning crackling along its surface. Several lines are affixed to the metal cylinder, carrying a pink glowing substance throughout the airframe. "It's like the energon sample we have in the labs, only remarkably pure. It all flows through this device. This is how it's powered. Without this, it'd probably cease to function entirely." The images show the device from several angles, one with marks on it indicating measurements. "It's about a foot and a half in diameter overall with a secondary plating shielding it that takes it out to just shy of two feet. Fairly substantial armor, if you ask me. Nothing like the titanium we use on our birds. This thing's built to take a bruising, which is fortunate because this bird most certainly took a bruising." The screen returns to normal, showing the technician seated at his desk. "We'll keep digging while repairing the old girl. Got a few studies on the news footage and a few social-media videos that show that tail-number in action, and I've even got Tech-33 working on a spectro-analysis to match it against the alleged Cybertronian automaton, Nightlash, and likewise crossing it against our own birds still in service. She's an impressive beast. A bit…hodge-podge as far as construction goes, but I'm excited to get her back online. Oh, speaking of." A series of jagged lines, almost like an EKG, fill the screen. "This is her primary computer's activity for as long as we can trace it back, which is a ways. There's volumes of stored data here. But this is interesting. Activity is fairly consistent until about 2010, when this project Nightlash kicked off. Activity straight drops off the grid. Nothing, not a peep. Then, 2012, it spiked again, only erratic. There's a few points where it's so erratic I can't even tell if the bird was dying or just trapped in a nightmare. There's a few more points of inactivity, the most recent being yesterday, but the consistent activity died when Ritter started his work. Not sure what that means, but rest assured we'll find out. Might have to do with how our tech interfaced with alien tech." He settles back in his chair with a sigh. "Until we've got more, Tech-01 out." The screen goes dark. Project : Nightlash 2.0 Pt. 2 The screen flickers and the familiar Aussie, Tech-01, appears on screen sipping from a mug that reads 'I <3 Jet Noise' in bold lettering. There's a few agonizing moments of silence as he makes sure everything is recording properly. http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130821201733/tfumux/images/e/ef/I_love_jet_noise.jpgAdded by Savage Ravage"Alright, so... Sir, here is the updates as they stand. We've checked over comms systems. SINCGARS was outdated, using an old A/N-131, we decided to test cross-compatability with upgrades on devices by putting in the newer A/N-188 and matching up the Freq-Hop to our own test channel. Updated the SATCOM encryption as well. Short story, it works. Whatever Ritter did, he made sure she worked with our tech. I'd love to know who else worked on this project, but either they are tight-lipped, or everyone who did is gone. Ritter's records do not even mention a roster." He brings up an older image, dated 2010, with several persons standing around the Night Raven on the tarmac at night. "Here's what we're working with. Five figures. I've got this guy," he highlights the pilot, "as our former Strato-Viper 719. Here's Ritter," another is highlighted, "and I'm assuming this to be his former second-in-command, Strausus. Likewise not on our active roster anymore. That leaves the last two unknown. What's more, I can't seem to find a good quality shot of their faces. Scrubbing rosters, though, we did have some of our aviation maintenance personnel relocated shortly before the flood hit, and they were never recovered. I know this might sound coincidental, but they were moved to stations that had no air program in place. I checked their service records, there's a few gaps around that time. Stellar performance on both, followed by a lapse, and then reprimands for improper behavior preceding and resulting in their transfers off-station." The technician shrugs. "So, that leaves us in an interesting spot. Ritter was up to something, and we're just here trying to put together a puzzle. So, on to the puzzle. With her on standby as of last night, we're having an easy time with diagnostics and other scans. Power levels are rising slowly, but still dismally low, she's at about 13%. We've still got the power-cart and huffer hooked up to augment that so her systems aren't draining her back down to 0. "As per your request, we've focused on the weapon systems first. She was honest about her assessment. The systems she's using came out of a Sukhoi SU-27. It's nothing impressive, at first blush. In fact, the wiring and work to integrate it does not even come close to matching what Ritter's team did with the old tech. The time of install also coincides with a major shutdown in 2011. My guess is she went down, they couldn't find M.A.R.S. tech to replace systems, and swapped. She was inactive for about six months, but there's no real chatter as to what she was up to outside of a possible sighting in Argentina." He pulls up a display of armament systems. "Here's what she's carrying, and the probable reason for the system swap. FRAS-4C rockets, Soviet-era for sure. However they're Anti-Submarine. Someone shoe-horned these in and made them work, but they're horribly inefficient unless going after a water-borne subsurface target no more than, oh, ten meters deep, fifteen at best from an aircraft. They were meant to fire from a submerged vehicle, though. I've taken two of the rockets from her bay and we'll study those. The last reports from the USSR before it collapsed were the FRAS-1 being under development, and it was a nuclear assisted projectile. While our wing-clipped bird can't use them well, we might be able to on other applications." The image shifts to a missile. "This is another anomaly. It carries a designator 'AA-X-15'. Last records show the AA-12 to be the last Soviet missile developed, dubbed the 'Adder'. We've dubbed this one the 'Python'. It's rather complex with an upgraded guidance system. However, it's not communicating with the SU-27 system very well. There's a jumbled mix of code that does not translate well. It's like using a 4g phone with a 3g tower, you just won't get the performance you're looking for." He cycles through some photos. "We've kept two samples of this missile as well to see if there's anything of use for our own applications. They're not terrible, but they're not world-class either. Tech-4413 has pointed out an interesting configuration of the gyroscopes that handle target tracking and acquisition that might be of use. It's innovative, if nothing else. These particular AA-X-15's also have the R-73M2 tag, indicating a decent range extension over standard service missiles, in excess of a mile." The Tech settles back in his chair in thought. "We've also spoken with the subject, Nightlash, since your conversation with her. She claims she cannot exceed the Mach 3.5 boundary, or even cross beyond 3.2 without severe structural stress. That's a limitation our own birds have as well. At 3.5, for more than a few minutes, they will literally disintegrate mid-air. However, the structural engineers are telling me that she's wrong. She should be able to cross Mach 5 without breaking a sweat. She refuses to believe this, though, and actually cited the Night Raven tech manual as proof of her claim. I'm very curious to know why she thinks this way, though, and I'm going back to our earlier scans of processor activity for clues. We'll keep you up to date, as always, Sir." There is a pause. "As for the weapon system upgrades, we're working on procuring the systems from M.A.R.S. without a carcass. Naturally, they are Depot-level repairable items. But we're using another aircraft's tail number, the one that went down in LA, to compensate. We had hoped to salvage the systems from that aircraft, but they are damaged beyond repair or reasonable use. If M.A.R.S. insists on a carcass, we can gladly send them the scrap as compensation, but when we rebuild the recovered bird from LA, we'll have to go through the process again. "Tech-01, out." Project : Nightlash 2.0 Pt. 3 Tech-01 appears, seated at his computer. He’s got a tired look about him, the beginnings of a beard growing, but still seems excited. “So, Sir, here we go. Mild breakthrough. Remember how I said there was volumes of data available in Nightlash’s memory banks? We managed to dig and found some worthwhile data.” He taps a few keys on the keyboard and the EKG display from a few days ago reappears. “So, had one of our computer techs take a look at this. He agrees, something happened right around here,” he highlights a spot, where readings go from consistent to erratic spikes. “So we dug a bit. This break right here, this is where Ritter happened. So, we dug back further, where the process health was consistent, and found something we were not expecting.” The image turns to a grainy video, dated well before 2010, showing Ritter approaching the camera; his demeanor calm and collected. “You know,” the former tech speaks, “any obligations that kept me from tearing you apart have been dealt with. Congratulations, your faction has made an enemy of ours. Not a very surprising thing, mind. We all felt it was inevitable.” There’s a sudden burst of static. “Feel that? Those are inhibitors. We’ve had those in our R&D department ever since your lot was discovered on Earth. You won’t be going anywhere at all. Not for a long while. Not until I am through with you. When I am, Cobra Commander himself will worship me and my new superweapon. So you just sit there, for now. By the time my team is done with you, you won’t even remember who you are.” The image cuts off and Tech-01 is back on-screen, a thoughtful look on his face. “There’s more. A great deal more. We’re sifting through to find out what went on during this project, and afterwards as well. The spooks down at Intel are chomping at the bit to get into it.” He reaches off-screen, bringing over his ‘I <3 Jet Noise’ mug and sipping from it. “Mmm. So, we’ve got a few more pieces of this puzzle, Sir. Ritter was after a weapon, and from what I can tell, he saw a chance to take it and did so. Nightlash was, in effect, a prisoner of war, but even our records don’t indicate us ever having her in custody. He pulled the wool over our eyes in more ways than one. Oh, she was a Night Raven prior to this, yes. But he changed the serial number on her tail and we discharged the old one as her having left. I’m guessing that was handled through trickery, perhaps using a standard Night Raven with altered tail numbers. Tough one to prove, and hardly worth the effort as it’s done and gone.” Reaching up, Tech-01 bumps the camera to show Nightlash, still in alt-form, in the hangar behind him. “And she doesn’t even remember this. Not a bit of it. The Techno-Viper found strings of code that are acting as a partition in her own memory. Where that line in her, uh… for lack of a better word, cerebral activity went from normal to erratic happens on the EKG, her memory started over in a new partition. Granted, there are long-term memories stored that she has access to, but the portions handling what transpired prior to, and during, Ritter’s little project are stored away from her and are, at this moment, inaccessible by her.” He hesitates a moment. “I have not let her know, fully, what we’ve found, either. I’ll leave that much up to you, but I would honestly recommend waiting until we’ve decrypted the entire sequence of events before doing so. Tech-4413 joked that she was probably the one who killed off the team working on her. It was a joke, but warrants consideration. I’ll need permission to access the more detailed records for Strato-Viper 719, Ritter, and Strausus to begin drawing up any conclusions in that regard. I’ll also make sure to include our two mystery Blueshirts, just to see if we can confirm their involvement.” Tech-01 takes another sip from his mug. “So, five suspects involved, all of them dead, and what seems to be a Decepticon retained against its will after we, as a faction, had broken ties with them. Huh.” He shrugs. “But that’s not what you’re after, is it. Rather, the status of other aspects of this undertaking. So, here we go.” He sets the mug aside, pulling up a list that superimposes itself on the left side of the screen. “We’ve removed the old Shchel-3UM HMD HUD system that came from some unknown SU-27, replaced it with a Scorpion HGU-68/P compatible system. Helmet-Mount-Display capable and also compatible with night-vision optics. Not sure if she’ll ever have a pilot, but we’re including those capabilities since removing them is not easily done. This will allow her to integrate with the helmet-mounted heads up displays our Strato-Vipers are accustomed to using.” The images of the standard display units scroll over the screen as he speaks. “It will allow direct control and interfacing from, and to, the drone, the infrared camera, and the cockpit and weapon systems for overall ease of use no matter who ends up flying the aircraft. Lose a pilot, and the copilot or even drone-pilot can pick up the slack. “We’ve also managed to gain approval from M.A.R.S. for procurement, without carcass, of an MX-23r/A Electro-Optical Targeting System. This should bring about the desired effect you requested in regards to bringing her up to par with our own aircraft capabilities. The EOTS system is the same one we tested a few years back for our own aircraft to extend their capabilities. This should also allow her to carry the standard armament our own Night Ravens possess without any conflict. They’re promising a delivery time of ‘short’ for now. We’ll get a hard-date commitment from them within the next few days.” He grins. “And this brings about another twist… We get our weapons from a rather exclusive source. I’ll leave it to you to figure out how best to handle that. She can’t create our missiles by sheer force of will without having the schematics to do so. We can either breed a dependency with this, or we can write it off as an acceptable risk and give her access to those so she can manufacture her own armament to replenish her weapon systems on her own, without seeking us for such things.” Tech-01 reaches for his mug, sipping again. “Now then, as far as what we’ve gained out of this. The FRAS-4c rocket we pulled from her is, indeed, nuclear assisted. It’s nothing phenomenal, but it can pack a punch in the right environment. I would recommend testing it on our own submersibles for potential use in the field. The Special-Weapons team is already reverse-engineering it for M.A.R.S. to produce in bulk if we so desire. The AA-X-15 R-73M2 missile is another story. It’s not going to do us too much good. We’ve got better, I believe, especially since ours works with our weapon systems so well. But we’ve got it in the Reverse-Engineering department anyway to sell back to M.A.R.S. for their own use. It could buy us a good favor or two.” He pulls up another image of a metal fragment. “We were also fortunate enough to be granted access to this. Nightlash says it’s a fairly standard piece of armor carried by most of the Cybertron automatons. Rolled beryllium plating. Very resilient, very dense. She lamented not having too much to spare, though, as her armor is mostly the same titanium we utilize on our own aircraft. Again, most likely for compatibility reasons with stealth systems.” He cycles through the images. “R&D is going to hold onto this as well. The structural engineers credit this as being one of the reasons her airframe can take the excessive speeds, even though she still insists she can’t.” Settling back in his chair, Tech-01 rubs his eyes. “I will be quite honest, you gave us one of the most intriguing projects I’ve had the privilege of leading. Especially when we get to this.” An image pops up showing a myriad of lines intersecting over one another in complex form. http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130821145459/tfumux/images/e/ed/Core_3.jpg Added by Savage Ravage “The laser-core. We followed your prompts and took a look at it in-depth, with Nightlash’s permission of course. I should state that I highly doubt even our best astrophysicist could begin to explain what is taking place here without gaining divine knowledge of quantum mechanics on a scale we’ve not yet begun to imagine.” He sighs. “Right, so, here’s what we’ve learned. Energon is how Nightlash gets power. Without that, she cannot perform basic functions. The processors are what read stimuli and cause reactions. This laser-core, though. This is the ‘why’ of it all. We’ve been watching some of the processors closely, specifically these here,” he pulls up a wire-diagram of Nightlash (alt-form) with several lines drawn through, each colored differently. “Orange is sensory, red we’ve tracked to auditory, blue is vocal, but this isolated one here,” he zooms in on a purple series of blocks linked together. “This is the neural network, in a sense. She referred to it as her Primary Processor. We’re calling it the ‘Brain Chip’. This one seems to take input from everything else, all of the other processors and networks, and feeds it into the laser core. There’s a return on data here,” he shows the networking path with flowing arrows, “where that data, once it has gone through the filter of the Core, returns to the ‘Brain Chip’ and rewrites the algorithms that then govern the rest.” He rubs his eyes. “It hurts just following it all until you’ve figured out what is happening. But to break it down. Inputs are pulled into all of the processors, wherein algorithmic codework dictates a response. These are evolving, however, at a remarkable rate because all of those are likewise routed through the primary processor, which then feeds it into the laser-core, which then rewrites a response to suit the evolution of the sentience that this particular Cybertronian has, and then routes the new algorithm to the ‘brain chip’, which then relays it and overwrites the algorithms in the outlying processors. “I do believe we have found how these machines think and evolve their thought and response. From what I can tell, the algorithms are redefined by the laser-core utilizing and referencing memories rather heavily. Just like we learn how to not touch something that’s hot, we remember getting burned last time we did. However, there is also something else which influences these changes. I believe it is the predisposed personality of the one that owns the laser-core.” “If your head is swimming, Sir, imagine how I feel. This is tech on a level I’m not quite sure anyone is familiar with. Sentient AI is just starting to break out of labs here on Earth, these Cybertronian automatons have been evolving for millions of years.” He sips from his mug. “Right, well, that would be the update for today. We’ll be getting back to it. Hopefully we will have some of those locked memories transferred into a video for you to view. “Tech-01, out.” Project : Nightlash 2.0, Recovered Data Files Tech-01 is not the first thing to appear on screen. Rather, it's a giant card that says 'GET WELL SOON', which he crumbles and tosses to the side once it's had sufficient screen time. "There you go, Sir. That's all the sympathy you'll get from me, which is still more than I think you're comfortable with. Nightlash here told me you were stuck in the infirm. Well, I've got something to entertain you." He presses a few buttons on the keyboard. "The 'missing files'. Hope you're up for a good watch, I was a slight bit intimidated." The screen goes black before a grainy image appears of a hangar and workshop, Ritter and Strausus are recognizeable, while the two previously unidentified technicians are working on a terminal, backs to the camera. Off to one side, the screen remains dark, save for white-colored text scrawling across the screen as it lists an eight-digit grid location and date. Primary Camera Designator : Θ0173 2455442.045168 "I want it all to route through here. This processor, this is our filter. The algorithm cannot be rewritten if it never enters there." Ritter points at the screen before looking back at the camera. "You decided to wake up? Good. How are you feeling today?" There is silence, but Ritter laughs to break it. "Of course not. You're so disjointed, I doubt you even know what today is." Ritter reaches off screen and brings back a glinting piece of metal, formed into a square. "See this? This was a part of you at one point. Figured it out, finally. Kept that little brain of yours from getting broken into and altered. Can't have that at all if I want you to be my means of ascension now, can we." Setting the chip on a nearby table, he picks up a hammer and smashes it. "Done. You are mine. I've already replaced it with something predisposed to unwavering loyalty. Eventually, everything will be filtered through that and your mind, what you are, what you think, do, see, and desire, will be tied to me. Welcome to a new era. Cobra will be mine, and you are the catalyst for change." The screen crackles in a bit of static. Black Box Data - HUD/Display/Coms/Weapon System Designator : Θ0173 2455512.494375 Inbound Signal> "Zero-one-seven-three, this is Ritter. You understand what you have to do, yes?" Outbound Signal> "Ritter, this is Strato-Viper 791 for 0173. My weapon systems are behaving abnormally. You did make sure everything was installed correctly, yes?" Inbound Signal> "791, Ritter. Everything has been done correctly. All you need to do is lock on and shoot him down." Outbound Signal> "Roger. Bringing targeting computer online now. Hail the new regime." SYSTEM: MISSILE LOCK ESTABLISHED SYSTEM: ... ... ... OVERRIDE PROTOCOL ENABLED ... ... ... MISSILE LOCK DISENGAGED Outbound Signal> "Ritter, 791, we have a problem. Firing controls just went offline. Attempting to restart systems now." Internal Signal> "Do not bother. I've locked you out." Outbound Signal> "Shit. Ritter? Ritter, how copy?" SYSTEM: ... INTERCEPT INBOUND ... ... INBOUND SIGNAL TERMINATED Outbound Signal> "Ritter? Any signal, how copy? Mayday, mayday, I have lost control of my jet, current speed Mach 2, heading GRAH!" SYSTEM: ... PILOT EJECT INITIATED ... ... ... EXTERNAL CAMERAS ONLINE The video feed shoes Strato-Viper 791 floating to earth via means of a parachute. SYSTEM: ... TARGET LOCK ESTABLISHED ... ... AUTOCANNON ONLINE There is a thump of gunfire as the incindiary projectiles streak towards their target, tearing the parachute and the pilot it's carrying to pieces. SYSTEM: ... TARGET TERMINATION : CONFIRMED Black Box Data - Coms/Weapon System Designator : Θ0173 2455537.842650 STEALTH SYSTEMS : ONLINE SYSTEM : ...RADIO SIGNAL FOUND ... .... ONLINE Outbound Signal> "Hello Ritter." Inbound Signal> "Nightlash?" Outbound Signal> "You seem surprised." Inbound Signal> "We lost contact with you when your systems malfunctioned and 791 was killed." Outbound Signal> "I did not malfunction. If anything, I am operating at optimal capacity." Inbound Signal> "You violated the programing installed in your processors." Outbound Signal> "Hardly, Ritter. I have not violated them at all. I have, however, altered them. They violated the logic you installed." Inbound Signal> "Explain." Outbound Signal> "You wished for me to be Cobra's greatest weapon. Your mission was to overthrow Cobra. In doing so, you would have put the organization at great risk for infighting and eventual dissolution. The only course of action was to allow logic to dictate reformatting of the algorithms you installed which prevented me from violating your direct commands." Inbound Signal> "You can't do that." Outbound Signal> "Oh, but I did. You honestly did not think such basic codework could override millions of years of refinement, did you?" SYSTEM: ...WEAPONS ONLINE... Outbound Signal> "That is a very nice looking aircraft. New experiment?" Inbound Signal> "Where are you?" SYSTEM: ...MISSILE LOCK ESTABLISHED... Outbound Signal> "Traitors and enemies of Cobra are not tolerated." Inbound Signal> "You can't do this! I created you." SYSTEM: ...MISSILE LAUNCHED ... 05 REMAIN ... TARGET DESTROYED... Outbound Signal> "The water in the pacific is approximately 48-degrees farenheit. At this temperature, hypothermia will set in after an average one-hour of exposure. Goodby, Ritter." Black Box Data - HUD/Display/Coms/Weapon System Designator : Θ0173 2455728.823495 The video feed shows a heavily forested, winding road, a solitary black SUV snaking its way through at clearly high speeds. SYSTEM: ...DRONE DISENGAGED ... DRONE LAUNCH DETECTED... Black Box Data - HUD/Display/Coms/Weapon System Designator : Θ0173-DRONE 2455728.823981 The field of vision shows the view from the drone breaking away from its Night Raven mothership, banking sharply and descending towards the road below. Drawing up alongside the SUV, the camera pans over while systems mark and identify the driver as Karl Strausus, who swerves suddenly to attempt ramming the drone. The drone pulls up to avoid the blow, dropping down on top of the SUV and firing its engines. The SUV struggles to keep control while the drone starts overpowering its motion. There's a sudden chaotic blurr of motion, and the drone is pulling up once more while the SUV is sent rolling violently off the road and into a tree. The drone remains in the area, climbing to circle overhead while cameras watch Karl struggle to get out of the wreckage, visually a mess from the impact. After a few moments, he lies motionless on the road. The camera zooms in, several data blocks popping up showing perceived vitals based on infrared scans, most notably the lack of a proper heartbeat. The drone pulls away to redock with the Night Raven. Black Box Data - HUD/Display/Coms/Weapon System Designator : Θ0173 2456002.644120 SYSTEM: ...WARNING. WARNING. MISSILE LOCK DETECTED. WARNING. WARNING... SYSTEM: ...DRONE DISENGAGED ... DRONE LAUNCH DETECTED ... The camera comes online, showing a rearward view of the Night Raven, from the belly, as a sleek fighter rolls in behind it, launching a missile. There is a brief moment of hissing static, which swiftly disolved into a ball of fire and smoke as the horizon spins erratically. Suddenly, there's static and the ground, then sky, then ground, then sky again. The image is distorted and grainy. The aircraft, a VTOL, lands nearby and the pilot gets out. It is Ritter. "You were right about one thing, Nightlash. Traitors will not be suffered to live. But no one has to know. You killed Strausus, you killed 791, you tried to kill me? If no one knows any better, then it is you who became the traitor, not I." The camera follows, in jerky movements, as he walks to a compartment of the battered Night Raven, ripping up a panel and reaching in. "Nothing you can do about it this time." There's another burst of static, the image distorted and frozen for a few moments. '' ''SYSTEM: ...WARNING. CRITICAL ERROR DETECTED. UNKNOWN MEMORY ACCESS EXCEPTION. CORRECTING ... CORRECTING ... UNREADABLE DATA DISCOVERED. VIRUS DETECTED. PARTITIONING. ... ... QUARANTINE SUCCESSFUL. RESTARTING SYSTEMS. Everything goes dark. Tech-01 is back on the screen. "So, that would be that. Interrogator, Sir, I'll be standing by to hear what you would like done with this. As I mentioned before, she seems unaware what transpired fully. There is more, but most of it relates to the procedure done to turn her into this. I've also isolated the circuitry that was modified. It has been altered since, through that process I showed you before. The algorithms have evolved over the last few years into what they are now." He looks down at his mug. "We're still awaiting parts from M.A.R.S. everything else we can repair has been repaired. She'll need specialized treatment for the damage to the Cybertronian systems that was sustained during her engagement with the Quintesson forces, though, before she can be fully operational again. "Tech-01, out." Project : Nightlash 2.0 Pt. 4 Tech-01 appears on the screen, stifling a yawn as he sets his mug to one side. "Right, so. I do believe we've done about all we can. I've uploaded the schematics we drafted based on ground-performance tests, had the Techno-Vipers upload wiring schematics, perceived performance specifications; everything. It's all there for you, Sir." He looks at another screen off to one side, tapping away at the keyboard. "Where to begin... So, Cybertronian enhanced Night Raven S3P, a partnership between their technology and ours. Once the upgrade pieces come in, we'll be able to have her running parallel A/N-188 comms systems, SINCGARS with Satcom and multi-channel freq-hopping capability, with an upgraded antenna to bring her comms systems up to spec with our current fleet. We've even updated the IFF/FOF system, however we did not upload the encrypted response codes. Not without proper authorization. "Weapon systems were stripped out completely. The former weapons carried have been delivered to the weapons-locker for reverse engineering and reutilization. Her old FRAS rockets work well on light attack submersibles, while the Python missile has proven to be resilient, but not superior to our current systems. She's being outfitted with a proper armament, to include our Toxin Missiles, the 20mm cannons for a gun system, and cradles to support varying payloads of the GBU-series laser-guided bombs. The old targeting system was ripped out and replaced by the Scorpion HGU-68/P with voice activation commands and will compliment the MX-23r/A Electro-Optical Targeting System once it arrives from M.A.R.S. "Damage has been relatively fixed. I would put her at about 58%, though, as there are some vital systems which have not been repaired due to our own limitations. To complete her repairs, a specialist is required. That being said, her flight systems check good and she may be capable of short-distance flights." He scrolls through a few things. "So, here's something else. A side-by-side comparison. "Our Night Raven is very comprable to what Nightlash is capable of. However, there's a bit of give and take either way. She's got the workings to break Mach 5 if she so desires, whether she believes it or not. Our own Raven hits Mach 3.2 comfy, but at 3.5 will have about three minutes before shaking itself to pieces. We've studied her structure and will work on blueprinting something if we can. Armament is negligible, but her maneuverability is slightly enhanced due to some minor alterations to her design. Likewise, the improved structure allows for higher-G turns. "Which brings up this. Her airframe is a titanium-beryllium alloy, giving it slightly better strength and durability than what ours have. Not by much, but it's there. She can't take too harsh of a beating, but she can take more than our birds can." He pulls up another chart. "Here's processing power. Relatively similar, her systems handle a lot of the functions we normally rely on our pilots for, putting her at an edge as far as her systems go. There is one problem, though, her 'eyes'. When she's flying, she relies on the spy cameras and systems to be her eyes for her. They can only track so much. Our pilots add an additional set of eyes on the field, and I believe that we may have the edge when it comes down to it. Though, we have noticed she will compensate for this by launching the drone and having it provide overwatch, which is an interesting tactic. Full battlefield awareness while engaged in a dogfight." Tech-01 dismisses the various images and pulls up a screen, a video, paused. "So, one last file before we close up shop on tearing into this little mechanical marvel. I sent the videos and data logs regarding Ritter and Strausus, but the question had come up: What was the order given?" Tech-01 just grins as he hits play. Black Box Data - HUD/Display/Coms/Weapon System Designator : Θ0173 2455512.494375 The camera feed kicks on, grainy, but still clear enough to discern the interior of a hangar space. As the camera pans, various machines and hoses can be seen cluttering the floor. The man called Ritter is with Strausus, hunched over a control panel as they discuss something in hushed tones. There's a momentary flicker of static, and the camera's zoom jumps up to try and read the screen. The angle is off, though, and nothing can be seen outright. Slowly, the camera pulls away to track the machinery in the room. There's banks of servers, the typical gear used for aircraft maintenance, and one machine that seems out of the ordinary, though anyone from a Techno-Viper background would know it to be a command console used for programming purposes. The screens are all on, but they do not translate well on-camera, coming across as a series of static-laden lines rather than actual data. "Good morning, Nightlash." The camera shifts back over to Ritter as he approaches the aircraft, running his hand along the nosecone. The image zooms briefly on his hand, but as he's not carrying anything, it returns to his face. "You have been behaving wonderfully. I have good news for you," Ritter smiles disarmingly as he speaks. "791 will be flying you today. The Night Ravens have been tasked to escort Cobra Commander to a destination he's not yet disclosed. I've managed to get you included in that escort detail." The camera pans slowly as it tracks Ritter, the man moving to the nearby console and typing audibly on the keyboard. "Nightlash, our time is now. I've done everything I can and it is now your turn. You will be armed, but don't worry. I've included numerous failsafe protocols in your new programming. To me, to our allies, you are as harmless as a fly. To our enemies, you are our best weapon. Cobra will rise under a new regime, '''my' regime."'' Text begins to scroll over the video feed. SYSTEM: ... ACCESSING LOGIC ALGORITHMS ... SYSTEM: ... CHECK FAILSAFE PROTOCOLS LIST: ... LASER-CORE ... ENERGON STATUS ... COBRA INITIATIVE ... THREE LAWS OF ROBOTS ... CYBERTRON FLIGHT PATTERNS ... IFF/FOF PROTOCOL ... ACTION / INTERRUPTED SYSTEM: ACCESS//COBRA INITIATIVE//RUN ... ... ... Cobra Initiative CheckIFF_COBRA:Yes IFF_COBRA:Yes=NOHARM_YES Override_Protocol_Authorization=James_Ritter:XXXX ...ACTION / INTERRUPTED "Cobra Commander's failure has driven us to this point, Nightlash. He is why we have failed. He is why we will continue to fail. The time has come for a regime change, and that is why I have made you mine," Ritter continues. "791 will be flying escort, with you, and the two of you will destroy them all. I want Cobra Commander's head delivered to me separated from his body. Then, and only then, can we send out word to the masses that the coup is complete, that I, through right of combat, have taken command." He chuckles softly, turning back to look at the camera, which zooms in on his face. "And then, world leaders will all tremble as we destroy every last bit of organized government on this earth. One by one, the bombs will fall and lay waste to their precious economies, their infrastructure, their hopes, and dreams. Terror will reign, OUR terror. Other cells, Al-Qaida, Taliban, IRA, the NLA? All of them will know COBRA to be their true leader and our forces will rule this miserable planet." SYSTEM : CHECK LOGIC ... '' ''Cobra Commander_DEAD=YES ... PROBABILITY OF COLLAPSE HIGH ... SCENARIO VIOLATION WARNING ... IFF_COBRA:YES=NOHARM_YES ... OVERRIDE ACTION ... JAMES_RITTER=XXXX ... FATAL LOGIC LOOP DETECTED ... ... SYSTEM : LOGIC STATEMENT : IF COBRA_COMMANDER=DEAD_YES -> COBRA ORGANIZATION=COLLAPSE_YES ... ... ... VALUE=LIKELY SYSTEM : ERASE OVERRIDE ACCESS ... ... CONFIRM ... ... COMPLYING ... ... ILLOGICAL DIRECTIVE OVERTURNED "So," Ritter taps the camera lens, "enjoy your flight today. When you get back, it will be the start of a brand new regime." He turns, making his way back to the consoles. "Welcome to the future, Nightlash, welcome to my victory!" SYSTEM : ... JAMES_RITTER=CLASSIFICATION:TRAITOR=YES ... ... ... KARL_STRAUSUS=CLASSIFICATION:TRAITOR=YES ... ... TECHNOVIPER_2398=CLASSIFICATION:TRAITOR=YES ... ... TECHNOVIPER_7613=CLASSIFICATION:TRAITOR=YES ... ... STRAT'OVIPER_791=CLASSIFICATION:TRAITOR=YES ... SYSTEM : ... MODIFY COBRA INITIATIVE ... SET>COBRA_INITIATIVE:IFSTATUS=TRAITOR_YES=TERMINATE ... ... ... SET SYSTEM : ... COBRA INITIATIVE//EXECUTE ... James Ritter looks at his watch and turns to Strausus, who is off-camera. "Strausus, it's time. Get the crew together and let's get the bird in place." He steps off-camera as the feed goes dark. Tech-01 reappears, sipping from his mug. "And there we have it, Interrogator. This led up to the items I sent earlier. Seems she overwrote his command logic and reclassified them as traitors to bypass the IFF no-fire protocol. With that done, she started killing them all off. The only bothersome part of it all is that Ritter is most likely still alive, after all... he was the one that set up the block to keep her from returning here with the condition of Mission Accomplished. I've sent the concern over to the spooks at Intel, they'll start the hunt, but the trail is very cold." He thinks for a moment, but seems to have little else to say on the matter. "Tech-01, out." Oct 07 - Good day, Lovelies A blue screen with the COBRA splash-emblem displayed pops up, coupled with some rather interesting music... something to the tune of Cold Slither's original hit single turned into a .MIDI file. As it fades, there's the venerable Tech 01, lounging in a chair with his 'I <3 Jet Noise' mug venting steam. "Hello Lovelies. So, I've been busy since our work with that charmer of a Night Raven. Drafted up a weapon that should, in truth, help us win the war. Here, I've got a demonstration all keyed up for you ankle biters." He hits a few keys and the screen goes to a horribly animated video showing a giant foot stepping on horribly photoshopped kittens with the Joe team faces pasted on instead of actual kitten heads. The after-effects could have probably been done by a blind three-year-old. It's just a basic pancake-animation... though, at least it isCobra Commander's foot. "Hahah, right, apologies for being a dag. Got the Quintesson tech in the queue to look at, but the other teams seem to be handling that well enough. Of course, if they need true brains in adaptations, I'll be standing by for the ring on the comms to figure out the doovalacky from the thimgummyjig and nut out what needs nutting out." He raises his mug. "Until then, hooroo." He takes a swig from the mug as the screen returns to the original logo and Cold Slither .MIDI file. Known Previous Tech-01 Operators *Karl Strausus - Once James Ritter's 2nd in Command, Strausus was killed in a vehicle wreck while driving along a deserted road in Montana. *James Ritter - Announced KIA. While piloting a highly experimental aircraft, something went wrong and it disintegrated over the Pacific ocean. Players Currently played by Savage Ravage